A McLure Christmas
by GoBzrk
Summary: Christmas at the McLures. After Sadie and Stone's mother's death but before the events of BZRK. Characters: Sadie, Stone, Grey, Stern.
1. Chapter 1

The snow was falling at a lazy pace, and as Sadie McLure shouted up the stairs to tell her older brother to get dressed for, oh, about the tenth time this morning, she sent a text to one of her friends. Stone wasn't going to be ready anytime soon, so she decided to cook herself some breakfast. Her dad was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs reading a book, but she was getting good at knowing when he wasn't _here_, as in this actual reality. He hadn't turned the page in the past two minutes, and he seemed…distant. He was only a few feet away from her, but he might as well been a million miles away.

Dad was in the nano.

He was inside her brain. Weaving a protective layer around his daughter's aneurism, performing surgery where no scalpel could ever reach. Which was technically impossible. Hell, it _was _impossible. But as Sadie had learned over the years, her father was capable of impossible things.

"How bad is it?" She asked, pulling the carton of eggs out of the fridge.

"Just replacing the Teflon." Dad said.

"Cool," she said, because what else were you supposed to say when your dad shattered all ethical codes to keep you from dying? He didn't like when she made a big deal out of it. He was just doing what he could, he'd say. "You want anything to eat?"

"Yeah. Usual." He said, and the 'usual' was whatever Sadie felt like making. She decided on simple scrambled eggs because she was still a little tired, she and Stone had been up all night trying to think of an idea, one single idea, as to what to get their father for the impending Christmas. Stone suggested a new microscope, but then remembered they got that for him last year.

The thing about Grey McLure, besides being a billionaire of the better sort, was that he was impossible to shop for. Regular kids got their fathers lame ties or books or…regular dad stuff. If Dad wanted something, he usually bought it himself, or, in the case of biots, conjured the concept out of thin air and made it a reality.

Sadie and Stone never used to have this problem. Well, they did, but another thing about Grey McLure was that he married a woman who seemed to know what he needed before he did, so Mom always gave them ideas that surprised Dad, and this was the first Christmas without Mom, and no one in the McLure family was looking forward to it, but it would come anyway. _It's going to be a shitty Christmas anyway_, Stone said last night._ Why act like it won't be? _

Some security guy, Stern, was taking them to the mall today, and dammit, they were going to get Dad something for Christmas. She just wanted things to go back to normal.

"I know you want to ask me something," Grey said, making the effort of eye contact while seeing God knew what inside her brain. He even smirked, and for a terrifying moment she wondered if Dad knew what she was thinking not because he always did, but because of the biots.

No. Dad wouldn't do that. Besides, there wasn't much interesting stuff going on inside Sadie's brain at the moment. A sleep-deprived mind couldn't be that interesting in the nano.

"I know you're answer is going to be classic Grey McLure. _I don't need anything_," she mimicked her Dad's voice. He laughed, the first genuine laugh she heard from him in the months since Mom died, and she smiled in response.

She grabbed a plate and filled it with the eggs. They were a little burnt, but Sadie knew he wouldn't mind. She slid the plate across the table and then served herself.

"Maybe I do want something," Grey said.

"Seriously?" Sadie asked.

He still had that smirk on his face when he said, "Yeah. I think I need a new tie."

"Ugh!" She shouted. "Stop with the joking, Dad. What do you actually, honestly want for Christmas?"

"Neon, definitely. Pink. Or orange. A neon orange tie." Dad smiled as he closed his book and ate breakfast.

"You're impossible." She accused, stabbing a piece of egg on the plate.

"Or maybe stripes. You're a kid. Are stripes 'hip' anymore?" He added air-quotes with the word _hip_.

"No. They're not too groovy these days," she rolled her eyes. Two could play this game, she thought.

"Are you calling me old?" He asked, a look of mock surprise on his face.

She countered with, "Did you call me a kid?"

"You are fourteen years old. From a youth marketing prospective, you're a kid." He deadpanned.

"Fourteen and a half, Dad." She corrected, matching his smirk.

Just then, a thumping noise sounded upstairs. She and Grey both glanced up to see Stone jumping into his jeans. He hadn't even dressed himself yet. One arm had made it to a sleeve, but Sadie doubted it was the right sleeve. He would take a few steps on the spiral staircase then try his luck at buttoning his jeans or fixing his shirt. This was a process that took Stone a couple of minutes to complete, and when he finally made it to the kitchen, he had the nerve to say, "I thought you were ready?"

"Excuse me?" She said, gaping at him. His shirt was still backwards, and he desperately needed a belt. "I didn't just get dressed in the dark, dimwit. What were you even doing for the past half hour?"

"Stuff." Stone answered. Sadie raised her eyebrows and nearly launched one of her famous verbal assaults. "Back me up, Dad." Stone said, smiling that goofy, signature Stone smile. It was a forced smile these days, Sadie saw past it, Grey saw past it, and Stone had to know it was bullshit, but he was bullshitting his goofy smile for them, so he expected some backup in return.

"Oh. You're busy, right?" Stone asked. He never liked to talk about nanotechnology. He didn't like to use the phrases like biots or microns or any of that. Sadie also noticed Stone washing his hands more often, and taking more than a shower once a week. Sometimes Sadie wondered if she handled this all too easily. The nanoworld, as she had taken to calling it. Dad showed her scans every now and then, and she couldn't help it. The scans failed to gross her out. She thought it was kind of cool. Sadie had seen many brain scans in her life, and each time fascinated her more than the last.

So, when someone can see and have whatever they want, what are you supposed to get them for Christmas? Sadie needed to know the answer to that question.

"Your shirt is on backwards," Dad said. Her brother groaned, retracting his arms and twisting his shirt around.

Sadie saw the black car pull up before the doorbell rang. She grabbed her purse and grabbed Stone's arm. He said, "Hey, I'm hungry," and she said, "Eat at the food court," but Stone insisted on grabbing an entire box of protein bars before leaving. Dad reminded them he was picking up their grandmother from the airport later today,

Sadie had met Stern once or twice, but Dad seemed to have the head of security around more often. They didn't talk much—at all, really. They had no reason to. As far as security guys go, he was okay. She remembered Dad and Stern sharing a drink one time, a twenty-year-old scotch. Buchanan's. That was the brand. Buchanan's. Stern brought a bottle over a couple of years ago and he and her parents ended up draining a majority of it. They'd laughed and whatever had been bothering them didn't seem as important anymore.

Were they friends? Could Stern help her come up with a half decent idea?

"Shotgun!" Stone shouted, sprinting towards the car. Sadie just sighed, why would she want to sit in the front? Stone always made every attempt to read over her shoulder—whether it was books or text messages—and if she had the back to herself, then she got some privacy.

Stern pulled out of the driveway. Stone started munching on protein bars.

"Aren't you supposed to work out before eating those?" She said. Stone's response was unintelligible because of the food in his mouth, but if Sadie had to bet, it was not anything worth hearing. Stone messed with the radio, settling on neutral ground with his choice of music. Not quite a white flag, but close.

The car ride to the mall was silent from then on. Nearly full with late holiday shoppers, the parking lot only had a couple of spots left. Soon they were out of the car, on their way into the mall, snow gathering on their shoulders. They hadn't even reached the mall doors yet when it happened. Stone had the tendency to walk ahead of people, and Sadie guessed it was for this very purpose, but she never said anything.

"The record is fifteen," she informed Stern.

"What rec—" Stern asked as the start of the possible new record introduced herself as Caitlyn, with a C, she insisted, and Sadie had a couple of choice words starting with that letter for the woman who had to be at least five years older than Stone. Sadie didn't know what to expect from Stern, whose common expression matched his name. He _was _a security guy, after all. How long would he let this go on without interfering? Sadie guessed it depended on how touchy Caitlyn felt today.

Stern, however, was laughing.

"Oh God," she said. "Please tell me my father wasn't like that, too."

Stern shook his head in amusement. "No, no. He was the opposite, really. He couldn't tell if a girl was flirting with him unless she outright told him."

"When did you meet him?"

"College."

"So you know him very well?"

"You could say that," Stern said, keeping an eye on Stone.

She hoped they were close friends, not only for the purpose of finding Dad a gift, but also because Dad was always stressed, and the more she talked to Stern, he seemed like a good friend for Dad. "What'd you get him this year?"

"A nice Barolo."

"Maybe I can get him a bottle of Jack Daniels," she thought aloud. Stern objected, saying she couldn't buy it herself, and he wasn't about to let Grey's fourteen year old daughter buy him whiskey for the holidays. Stern ended up having to break up Caitlyn with a C and Stone up. The shortly lived make-out session, which Stone was very happy about, proved to be Stern's red line. Caitlyn slipped a piece of paper into Stone's back pocket, a move neither Stern or Sadie missed, and ran after her friends.

"I like this mall," Stone said.

"Yeah. I'm sure you do." Sadie scoffed.

They entered the mall, finally, and began their last minute search for gifts.


	2. Chapter 2

A McLure Christmas (Part Two)  
Second part of A McLure Christmas. Some much needed McLure fam fic .

Stone insisted on getting food from the food court before they went on their search. Sadie scowled at her older brother as he ate. It seemed Stone's metabolism burned through whatever he ate the second it hit his stomach. He always was hungry.

After wasting thirty minutes in the food court, they finally went into the first store. A Men's Warehouse was the first store, and while there were many neon and striped ties, none of them felt right. Even as a joke.  
"Imagine Dad in a bow tie." Stone said, examining one on a mannequin.

"How about no." Sadie replied. They browsed through the store at their leisure, she hoping to find something for their father and Stone, well, a lot of women like men—'men' being a very loose term—who browsed this store. She seethed as she went through a rack of shirts. What was the point of bringing Stone if he didn't help? She'd have been better off coming here alone.

She was genuinely angry now.

Stern agreed when she said nothing here was right for Grey, but it took some coaxing to get Stone to leave Men's Warehouse. Yes, Stern relented, they could go back to the food court later. Yes, he caved, that pretty woman was allowed to give him her number.

Sometimes Sadie wanted to bruise her brother's face so women wouldn't hit on him every time they went somewhere.  
Was this how he coped with Mom's death? Flirting with all these older women?

Sadie did not try ignoring the problem, there would be no use. One of her friends, Amy, had actually gone through the same thing, only it had been her dad, so she talked to her more than she used to. Usually she focused on the good memories until the pain faded, but that took a long time.

She had to move past the pain of losing her mother. Mom always told her that, to move past the pain.  
Besides, she had Stone, mostly, and Dad, always. Stern seemed okay. Dad once said Stern was practically his brother. She still had people. She had family and friends. She would be okay, one day.

Stone ventured off into Barns & Noble, insisting Sadie and Stern stay outside. Although he thought she had listened and stayed put, she convinced Stern to help her look for a book for Grey. She overheard Stone ask for the section where "badass literary chicks" wrote "important stuff". He carried his purchase in a black bag, so she couldn't see.

"Please tell me it's for dad," she said, "because nothing else here is."

"Nope," he grinned, satisfied with himself.

They searched clothing stores, book stores, and now they entered the swarm of kiosks inside the mall. She slipped inside an old CD store—a CD store going out of business—and scored a copy of Rolling Stone's Beast of Burden. It was an inside joke between them, one that Stern caught on to quickly when she showed him while Stone chatted up a kiosk lady. She was trying to sell him lotion.

"You think he'll break the record?" She asked bitterly.

"Possibly." Stern said, frowning. His gaze wasn't on her brother, but on a pair of shoppers three stores ahead. Stern became uneasy, especially when she spotted the man and woman. They tried to stare at her indiscreetly, but Sadie knew better.

They looked like ordinary shoppers. The way they dressed, they could have stepped out of a Lands' End magazine. The man carried Macy's bags, while the woman carried a bag from JCPenny.

"It's nothing," Stern said, noticing her concerned, guarded look. "Just…don't wander off too far."

"Who are they?"

"It's nothing," Stern repeated, and it was clear she should not ask again, because that was the only answer she was getting.

They left the swarm of kiosks and made it to a CVS. Stern said he had to make a phone call. She gave him a doubting look which he ignored. Stone felt like sitting on one of the benches, so she sat next to him and sighed.

"Should we get him something?" Stone asked, motioning his head towards Stern.

"He had a pile of graphic novels in the backseat." She suggested. "But what about Dad?"

He shook his head, glanced quickly at Stern, who stood out of earshot. He talked seriously into the phone, not really keeping an eye on them. "Cover for me. Say I'm going to the bathroom."

"Stone!" Sadie hissed, because, for one, she did not feel comfortable by herself, and two, she absolutely did not feel comfortable leaving her brother by himself. He had a knack for trouble. He already bolted, however, and Stern had his back to them, hiding his panic or anger.

She was left alone, now, wondering whether if she should chase after her brother or tell Stern her brother wandered off. Usually, she never minded being left alone, free from her brother and free from security. Usually, she would embrace solidarity. Sadie didn't have a lot of friends, she was kind of a bitch. If she could have a chance to be alone, she'd take it.  
Nothing about this atmosphere felt usual. She felt a bit anxious, like when you first strapped into a roller coaster and after that first lurch, after that first stomach-churning lurch, you realized you suddenly wanted to get off, had to get back on the ground, but the roller coaster shoots out on the tracks anyway.

She wanted off the roller coaster. Now. But there was no way off. The couple from before returned, eyeing her skeptically.

Like she was missing something. A critical part of her.

Or someone. Were they searching for her brother? Why? What did they want with Stone?

She rushed over to Stern and before he questioned her, she said, "We need to find Stone. Right now."


	3. Chapter 3

A McLure Christmas (Part Three)  
Part Three of A McLure Christmas! Have you guys heard about BZRK Origins? The prequel ebook on Amazon? Excuse me while I go cry a river of tears no one told me about it and I just read it today.

They searched the entire mall without any luck. When she wasn't calling Stone, she was texting him. He wouldn't answer her. While Stone wasn't very reliable when it came to getting ready on time, or paying attention to her or Dad when a pretty woman walked by, he was good for one thing.

He always answered his phone. Thinking about it, she could not remember a single time he missed her calls. He replied to her texts within seconds. His cell phone was quite possibly an extension of his body. So Stone not responding…well, it felt like he came home without an arm or a leg.

Considering the way Stern was acting, Sadie feared that was a likely possibility. Stern tried to hide his internal panic, but she did not fail to notice the beads of sweat falling down his face, or the twisted, pained expression he let slip through. He insisted she remain close as they searched each store.

They checked the bathrooms, where Stone said to say he was going, but he wasn't there.

"Shit," Stern hissed.

She took a deep breath. "He's probably just flirting with some girl." She said, but she was not convinced.  
Stern said nothing as he tapped a message on his phone at alarming speed.

"This is Stone we're talking about. No one would ever hurt Stone. He'd annoy them to death."

That was something she felt much more confident in. Her remark drew a smirk out of Stern, although she knew it was for her own comfort.

They didn't notice it right away, but a boy with an over-sized black hoodie was walking rather hurriedly with a pair of adults. The hoodie must have been two sizes too big. It obscured any body shape, so it was just Sadie's assumption the figure was a boy. Stone hadn't worn a black hoodie today, so Stern didn't hone in on it. In fact, it wasn't the hoodie that caught Sadie's attention.

It was Mr. Macy's and Mrs. JCPenny. The couple who had been eying her from man carried all the bags now, and the woman's gloved hand rested on the young boy's back. To anyone else, the trio could have easily been a family finishing some last minute shopping.

To Sadie, however, the whole scene seemed…odd. Odd enough that when Stern ordered her to stay put inside nearest store—Sears—she decided to follow the strange group.

She remained close enough to not lose their trail, but far enough not to attract any attention. She window-browsed and checked her phone, sent her brother a message or two. She dialed his number when she noticed the woman reach toss something in the nearest trash can. When Sadie searched inside the garbage, she found her brother's phone. She glanced back to the couple with the boy. The hoodie dwarfed him, making him seem much smaller than he truly was. But she noticed the jeans were the same color as Stone's, and it was the same color hair.

They were heading towards the parking lot.

They were taking her brother. She quickly closed a majority of the distance between her and the kidnappers. She saw the glint of a blade peaking out from the woman's hand, the hand resting on Stone's back. She saw her brother's shaking, wobbly legs and his fidgety hands.

Sadie McLure knew the smart thing to do—the _responsible_ thing to do—was to phone Stern and let him take care of this. He probably had a gun on him. God, how she'd like to see Stern blow these people's brains out.  
Sadie did not give a damn what the smart thing or reasonable thing to do was. Besides, when Stern had refused to tell her where he went off to. He didn't want her following him.

Red seeped into all her senses. She didn't think it was possible, but just like in the movies, the color itself smeared her vision. Anger rushed through her blood. The constant chatter of shoppers became a muffled, foreign sound by the time it reached her ears.

They were almost out of the mall, now.

She wanted to shout his name, tell him not to worry, but she couldn't. Sadie had no idea what these people wanted with Stone. Without knowing their motive, she couldn't risk alerting his kidnappers they'd been found out. What if they decided to stab him and run?

Her thoughts bounced around her skull, too fast, too much, all at once. Her eyes taking in all the sights and desperately searching for options. Her brain measured distances—too close, too far. She also calculated the possibilities of success for each of her courses of action. None of them had very good outlooks.

_Always the pessimist,_ Stone remarked a few weeks ago. She insisted that no, she was a realist, and she preferred a world without all the sickeningly sweet sugarcoating.

She ran out of time for second-guessing. They already crossed the threshold and stepped foot on the parking lot pavement.

She zeroed in on the last kiosk before the mall exit. She threw her wallet at the cashier, not needing to be bothered with mall security. They'd corner her off and question her too long and then she'd lose Stone—she would lose Stone—and that was not acceptable.

She snatched the display mug off the counter. Gripping the handle with a death-grip, she launched into a sprint towards the woman. She screamed, not one of those stereotypical horror movie screams, but some animalistic, inhuman shout laced with absolute rage.

She smashed the mug over the woman's head with all her might. The mug shattered and bits of it embedded themselves in her skull. She dropped the knife, thankfully. She did not have a plan to deal with stab wounds, hers or Stone's.  
Stone—because the hoodie-clad boy could not be anyone else—shouted incoherently.

She was shouting, too, only she was sure the entire mall understood her. "_Don't you fucking touch my brother!_" She screamed as she used a shard of the mug to cut the woman's face. She screamed and cursed and punched and kicked, surely getting both the mall cops' and regular cops' attention. The woman's accomplice revealed a gun, even managed to point it between her eyes, but not too long after that mistake a hole appeared between his own eyes and he went down, a red halo surrounding his head.

The woman pulled out her own gun, but a bullet tore through her shoulder, and she went down.

They were a few feet outside the mall, leaving lots of witnesses. Sadie stepped back as police officers swarmed the scene. Somehow—later, when she asked, he refused to tell her—Stern was one of them. He was wearing a police uniform.

"Jesus Christ," Stone whispered. Luckily, he was in shock, and didn't seem to notice or care about Stern's outfit change. Sadie knew better and said nothing while in the parking lot. She acted like she didn't know him.

"Officer," she said, "these people tried to kidnap my brother."

Stone just kept saying "Jesus Christ," under his breath. He changed it up a bit, asking the occasional, "What?" or "_What_?" He looked at her like she suddenly grew a second head. "What?" He repeated.

He couldn't keep his stare fixated on one single thing very long. He had this cutting, all-seeing stare, like he suddenly had a glimpse into her very being, like he saw and comprehended her very essence. The short few seconds they held eye contact were incredibly uncomfortable for both of them. He gave Stern the exact same look and at that moment, Stone wanted to jump out of his skin.

Stern guided them towards a squad car and told them to get inside. He insisted Sadie sit in the front. "Don't touch each other," Stern warned as they approached the car. "Don't touch your faces. Take that sweatshirt off."

They did as he said, leaving the hoodie on the ground. She wanted to hug Stone, mostly because he couldn't stop shaking, but also to make sure he was here, he was real, and she hasn't lost him.

They drove off. Stern switched the lights on, so traffic was not a problem. Stern drove thirty miles above the speed limit. She fumbled for her seat belt.

"My nose itches." Stone said, his voice detached.

"Do not touch your face." Stern repeated.

"I…I left my wallet there." She suddenly remembered.

"Thanks, Sis." Stone mumbled.

"You're my brother. Only I get to put you in mortal danger." She deadpanned.

They fled the mall. Sadie didn't know where the head of security was taking them, but she knew, with the utmost certainty, Stern would break any and all laws to keep them safe.

Dad made friends like that.  
***

This fic is turning into a bigger story in my head than I intended. I approve.


	4. Chapter 4

Stern did not take them to a regular hospital. He took them to the McLure Industries campus in New Jersey. They got their sooner than they should have. When she last risked a glance at the speedometer, the car had been going eighty miles per hour. They swerved, turned, and beeped their way through traffic. Stone nearly threw up, and Sadie herself was looking a bit green.

All the while, Stern texted someone—presumably Dad—and Sadie swore her life flashed before her eyes. Stone teaching her how to ride a bike. Mom smiling as she learned to swim for the first time. All the times at the beach house. The trips to the doctor for her, for her aneurism. Then Mom's doctor visits, the cancer. Dad's withdrawal, then the too-late miracle. The biots. And now they were here, in this car, and Stone was still saying, "What?" and Sadie screamed because a massive eighteen-wheeler nearly smacked into them but Stern swerved at the last second, after hitting send on his phone.

"I don't feel good," Stone said suddenly, holding his head in his hands. He shut his eyes tight, so he didn't see Stern's indignant glare.

"Do not touch your face!" He shouted curtly.

Her brother lifted his head up. To her surprise and confusion, Stone met Stern's eyes in the rearview mirror. He had a very uncertain, worried look in his eye when he said, "I know about Donna."

"Exactly. So don't touch your face."

This short conversation made absolutely no sense to Sadie. The name sounded a bit familiar, like she should know it. She had trouble focusing on one single thought. Her mind was racing, racing, racing and unlike the speeding car, she couldn't stop.

Somehow, they made it to McLure Industries alive. Sadie didn't know how that was even possible.

"I think my ID is in my wallet," she said as Stern parked the car, as close as he could get to the back entrance. Out of sight from anyone who shouldn't be seeing things, she thought to herself.

"We'll deal with that later. Get out of the car. Both of you."

Stern insisted she stay put while men and women in modified hazmat suits came outside. They weren't the usual bulky, brightly colored suits you saw in movies. They didn't have much give, and they certainly weren't flattering on anyone. However, you didn't wear one of those to look fashionable. Sadie didn't have to guess the reason behind them. You wore those hazmat suits for protection against tiny, microscopic, foreign invaders. They probably weren't much use against radiation, but they must have been useful against biots.

She knew there had been some deaths involving her father's nanotechnology, but she didn't quite know the circumstances behind those deaths. She also knew her father's technology was not on the market. Only a few McLure lab technicians had knowledge about biots, and even fewer actually had one.

So why, then, did her father's people need these hazmat suits? Had someone leaked the technology? No, she would have seen that on the news.

So, why, then?

The Suits took Stern and Stone away. She was left wondering why they didn't take her with them.

Sadie was a very intelligent person, so it did not take her very long to figure out some big chunks of this puzzle. One: there had been a lapse in security, and protecting her meant protecting Dad's biots, which were currently busy spinning Teflon inside her brain. Two: Stone had been targeted by someone—more likely some group, since there had to be more than just the two people at the mall—who either had biot technology or wanted it for some reason, which brought her to her third conclusion.

The kidnapping at the mall was not a one time thing. She imagined herself in her father's place. A genius billionaire who was still not over, and probably and rightful never would be over, his wife's death. If she wanted leverage over Grey McLure, she didn't have to be a genius to know going after his kids—one of the only things he had left of his wife—was a great way of getting him to hand over any and all innovative nanotechnology.

She maintained an acceptable level of paranoia during the hour—it had to be at least an hour, she couldn't remember where she lost her phone in this mess—she was left outside. No one came to get her. No one drove in or out the parking lot. She eventually sat down on the curb and watched the snow flurries.

She tried opening the doors, front, back, side, even a window, but they were all locked. She had a good laugh about that one. She was the boss's daughter, and she was left out in the cold without an explanation.

She wasn't angry, yet. She was just annoyed she hadn't brought a warmer coat.

Needless to say, she was very relieved when Dr. Chat came and took her inside. She wasn't wearing one of the suits. Dr. Chat's forced smile failed to ease her patient, so the doctor discarded her emotional mask and told Sadie that Stern and Stone were all checked out, and there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Why were all the doors locked?" She asked.

"Protocol." Dr. Chat replied. She walked over to a coffee machine and poured a decent amount in a white mug. Chat handed Sadie the drink and she couldn't help it, she took a big gulp and winced as the hot drink burned her mouth. It was worth it, though, since she got ride of some of awful cold plaguing her.

"Protocol for what?" She asked, taking another—albeit more cautious—sip.

Dr. Chat seemed conflicted. She repeated, "Protocol," like it was an acceptable response, like even that was giving too much away.

In a way, she did give Sadie some information. Dad's company saw this coming. They anticipated it. Had set procedures in place in case it happened. Sadie didn't think they expected it to happen so soon, but Dad always liked to be prepared.

She suddenly felt very tired. Too tired to accuse Dr. Chat of spiking her drink, but not tired enough to have the coherent thought and realize the doctor had.

When she woke, she was in the same room. She woke, already agitated, already annoyed, because of a mechanical buzzing sound that simply refused to stop. A raging headache settled and wouldn't leave. Surely she would have panicked if she hadn't heard Dad's voice first.

"…you're certain it's secure?" Dad asked. His voice was tense, strained. He sounded hurt, and Sadie had to resist the urge to open her eyes and make sure he was alright. She needed information.

"Only a few got in, and they're dead. You should be fine in a few days." Dr. Chat assured.

Sadie did not have the slightest idea what they were talking about. She naturally assumed 'they' were people. Had someone tried to hurt Dad?

After the first few failed attempts to open her eyes, she succeeded. Sitting up, she saw that nearly everyone was here. Dad, Dr. Chat, Stern. The chief of security no longer wore the police uniform, he was in a black suit now.

Even her grandmother, sleeping in an oversized, plush chair, was here.

Dad opened his mouth to say something, but Sadie was a step ahead of him on the questioning front.

"Where is Stone?" She asked.

Dad laughed one of his dry, amused laughs. The laugh he used when he wanted to make her feel better, but didn't know exactly how to do it. He cracked a tense smile, "Stone's…being Stone."

She wanted to ask more questions, but her gaze was drawn to her bandaged hand. She prodded the bandage and mumbled a half-hearted, "Ow."

Stern's laugh was genuine. "I'll have to remember that one." When she shot him a questioning look, he added, "You cut yourself, with a piece of that mug."

"It wasn't one of my most…planned moments," she conceded. She didn't even remember cutting herself, although a glance down revealed a blood smear on her jeans.

No one said anything. The silence felt suffocating, so she opted to break it. "I don't appreciate being drugged, Dr. Chat."

She didn't get a reply, and she didn't expect she'd ever get one. Instead, the conversation moved on. She learned Stone was on the floor above them, but she didn't learn why. She decided to file her questions away and remember to ask her brother later. Dad might be able to hide this from her, but Stone never could. He had to have answers.

Dad and Stern suddenly got up and told her they'd be back later. She stood to go with them—why stay here?—but they both insisted she remain here. Even Dr. Chat left her, although she have Sadie a book to read. It was just her and her grandmother, who was still sleeping.

She pretended to read, occasionally flipping a page and feigning interest. Twenty minutes later, she got up and slipped out the door before she second guessed herself.  
***


End file.
